Homebuyers Are Willing to Make Big Sacrifices for Top Schools

Purchasing a home in a good school district has always been a high priority for buyers who have or want children, and recent survey results show just how much a neighborhood’s educational pedigree matters. Nearly three-quarters of successful homebuyers said that the quality of the school district was either important or very important in their purchasing decision, according to a realtor.com poll and an accompanying analysis by company Chief Economist Danielle Hale. About the same amount — 78 percent — sacrificed some features to score a home in their desired school district. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore





#homebuyers #realestate #blog #PacUnion #elizabethGkilgore #egk415 #school #buyers #purchasing

How Land Trusts Are Changing Bay Area Homeownership

A Home You Can Afford: How Land Trusts Are Changing Bay Area Homeownership

Unlike traditional subsidized housing, community land trusts give low-income residents an option to purchase equity in their home. Community land trusts are becoming increasingly popular in the Bay Area as a way to preserve affordable housing and give tenants an opportunity to build equity in their homes. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore




#housing #subsidized #trusts #purchase #land #equity #home #realestate #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #egk415 #blog

10 Best American Big Cities

San Francisco, San Jose Rank Among the 10 Best American Big Cities

• A new study rates San Francisco as the fourth-best American city to call home, with San Jose coming in at No. 8.
• San Francisco excels in several of the study’s gauges of attractiveness, including income growth, most restaurants and coffee shops per capita, and walkability.
• San Francisco and San Jose residents also rank among the most educated in the U.S.

Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#SanFrancisco #SanJose #Rank #American #realestate #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #egk415 #blog

California’s June 2018 Median Home Price

California’s Median Home Price Hits Another Record High in June


A lack of homes for sale continued to drive Golden State prices in June, with the nine-county Bay Area posting double-digit percent annual appreciation for the 12th straight month.


The California Association of Realtors’ latest monthly home sales and price report says that the state’s median single-family home price was $602,760 in June, a year-over-year gain of 8.5 percent. June marked the second month in a row that state home prices reached a new peak. California home prices have risen on an annual basis for more than six years and currently show no signs of leveling off, according to CAR. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#California #home #record #realestate #economy #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #June

How Much Does It Cost to Maintain a Home in California?

Almost all new homeowners have calculated their monthly mortgage payments, but fewer have likely factored in the cost of routine maintenance tasks.


An analysis by home-remodeling portal Porch breaks down home-maintenance costs by states and ZIP codes, as well as individual jobs. Though it’s commonly accepted wisdom that owners should expect to spend 1 percent of a home’s cost on maintenance each year, Porch determined that nationwide, Americans spend an average of $16,000 on home upkeep annually, assuming that the work is outsourced to professionals. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

• California homeowners can expect to spend nearly $17,000 each year to maintain their properties, higher than the national average.
• Atherton ranks as the most expensive city in California for home upkeep, an average of more than $27,000 per year.
• Replacing a swimming pool’s filtration system is the most expensive routine home-maintenance task, costing nearly $1,800 and required about every two years.

#California #homemaintenance #realestate #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #homeowners #mortgage #payments

California June 2018 Job Report

Losses of Lower-Paying Jobs Drag Down California’s Employment Growth in June



Check out this short animation offers highlights from June’s Bay Area home sales report. To read the full analysis by Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#jobs #unemployment #realestate #economy #pacificunion #selmahepp #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #SanFrancisco #Marin #BayArea

Bay Area's June Market Report

Are Bay Area Housing Markets Getting the Jitters? June’s Median Price Growth Doesn’t Suggest So

In projecting Bay Area real estate market activity for the remainder of 2018, it is understandable why many participants feel a bit anxious. At the current rate of median price growth, everyone is asking themselves how much longer the appreciation in sustainable. To add color to that question, keep in mind that there are multiple segments of the market. Buyers who are budget constrained will feel the burden of increasing mortgage rates and growing prices. That segment of the market may consequently slow faster than for buyers who are less sensitive to mortgage-rate increases and higher home prices. As market activity in 2018 has shown, the higher end continues to grow despite higher mortgage rates and concerns over financial volatility and further economic growth.

Check out this short animation offering highlights from Pacific Union's June’s Bay Area home sales report @elizabethGkilgore

#economy #realestate #market #PacUnion #bayarea #home #Sales #report #growth #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore

Rezoning Plan in SF’s Central SoMa Would Result in More Housing

Changes to SF’s Central SoMa rezoning plan would result in more housing

Originally, the plan envisioned 7,000 housing units and space for about 39,000 jobs. Gradually, city planners have been looking for ways to increase the amount of housing. Kim’s amendments would bring the housing unit count up to 8,550 housing units and the jobs down to about 32,500. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#jobs #SoMa #Central #housing #realestate #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #rezoning

Pacific Union Quarterly Report: Q2 2018

Although second-quarter inventory improved on an annual basis in more than half of the Northern California regions in which Pacific Union operates, prices increased in every region. The Mid-Peninsula, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley, and Lake Tahoe/Truckee regions recorded double-digit-percent, year-over-year appreciation.


Below, Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp offers a brief synopsis of second-quarter real estate activity in each of Pacific Union’s regions. Where you can access the latest regional and community-specific market data and statistics to help you make a better, more informed homebuying or selling decision. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

East Bay

The East Bay‘s housing market showed robust sales in the second quarter, with more homes sold than during the same period last year. The only Bay Area region with more sales in 2018 compared with 2017. Homes priced below $1 million remain in high demand. Buyer competition again heightened, with eight out of 10 homes selling for more than asking price and all price ranges seeing more bidding wars than last year. The seasonal increase in homes for sale has helped satisfy eager buyer demand to some degree.

Click here to read the full Q2 2018 East Bay real estate report.

Marin County

Second-quarter home sales activity in Marin County mostly reflected typical trends observed in the previous few years. Bidding wars were again common, and more homes sold for premiums than during the same period last year, especially those priced between $1 million and $2 million. About 65 percent of homes sold for more than asking price in the second quarter.

Click here to read the full Q2 2018 Marin County real estate report.

#inventory #Marin #BayArea #home #economy #sales #demand #realestate #homebuyers #homesellers #PacUnion #egk415 #Tiburon #elizabethGkilgore

8 Things Parents Should Checked Before Buying A House

Home buyers with kids (or who hope to have kids soon) do you know all the things you should check to look for properties with certain kid-friendly characteristics? Check out these lists of features that parents should factor into their house hunt, but often miss. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore




#realestate #homebuyers #homesellers #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion

Would-Be Homebuyers Outnumber Sellers by 4-to-1

• Forty-one percent of renters are thinking of purchasing a home over the next year, compared with 11 percent of owners who plan to sell.
• California home prices grew by 8.9 percent year over year in May, while prices in the San Francisco metropolitan area were up by 11.4 percent.
• California real estate prices are expected to appreciate by 9.3 percent by May 2019, the second-largest gain in the U.S.

The nation’s inventory crunch continues to drive up home prices, with California projected to post among the highest appreciation by the spring of next year. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#economy #homebuyers #sellers #sales #demand #reach #realestate #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #egk415

Pending Home in Tiburon CA

This fantastic opportunity in Tiburon was not on the market in over 40 years. It was listed for $2,350,000 and is now PENDING. 

Want to know how much your home worth in TODAY'S market? CALL me 415-517-1577. 


I can HELP you get your home SOLD FAST and for TOP DOLLARS!!!  ww.elizabethgkilgore.com




#pending #Tiburon #realestate #homebuyers #homesellers #sales #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion

Top 10 Lake Towns of 2018

Top 10 Lake Towns of 2018: Fantasy Waterfront Retreats at Bargain-Basement Prices

What makes a great lake town? A lovely, inspiring, and beckoning body of water? Check. A cool, relaxing vibe with plenty of splashy and nonsplashy extracurriculars? Check. Affordable and irresistible housing a short hop from the water? Yes, please!

When the mercury starts soaring across the U.S., more folks get the urge to turn fantasies of shore living into reality. And why not? Lakefront housing tends to be less expensive and more accessible to a wider swath of the country than popular ocean beach towns.  Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#realestate #lake #waterfront #retreat #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion

First-time homebuyers: Should I rent or buy?

Purchasing a home is an important decision and has major benefits that renting just cannot provide. Even with all of the benefits of homeownership explained, of particular concern was how much was needed for a down payment. Here are tools to help understand how buying their first home could be within their reach. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#rent #buy #realestate #economy #homebuyers #sales #homeownership #reach #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion

11 Best Bay Area Beaches This Summer

From sandy shores by the Golden Gate Bridge to tide pools in Bolinas, these spots provide the perfect escape


Summer is very near. And as temperatures almost reach the blistering 70-degree mark, it’s time to keep cool. Let's get started by these list of the best beaches in the Bay Area. From tide pools and secluded spots to family-friendly and clothing-optional, we've come up with the top 11 Bay Area beaches for soaking up some vitamin D. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #GoldenGateBridge #BayArea #summer #beaches #pools #Bolinas

Too Hot for House Hunters? 5 Home-Selling Tactics That Sizzle During Summer

Summer is peak season for home selling—but also for barbecues, vacations, and long, lazy beach days. In other words, there are lots of things to distract even the most diligent would-be buyers. 


But for home sellers who are eager to drum up an offer before Labor Day. Check out these five smart tips for getting buyers to brave the heat and squeeze your house into their summer schedule. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore





#home #selling #summer #househunter #vacations #realestate #homebuyers #homesellers

The 10 Places Where Americans Live the Longest

Fountains of Youth: The 10 Places Where Americans Live the Longest

In America, the median life span is nearly 79 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that's not universal. There are special places where people regularly blow right past 80, healthy and active, and just keep on going. The data team at realtor.com® set out to find these American fountains of youth. We located the 10 counties where people are living the longest, and then took a deep dive to find out what differentiates them from the rest of the country. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#economy #egk415 #Tiburon #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #SanFrancisco #Marin #BayArea

Bay Area New Software to Approve Housing Faster

Bay Area tech company rolls out new software to help cities approve housing faster

As communities throughout the Bay Area struggle to house their booming populations, a local company is debuting new software it says may help cities build homes faster.

San Ramon-based Accela on Tuesday launched two new cloud-based applications to streamline and speed up the permitting process — which in many cities often gets bogged down with delays. That can help developers break ground sooner on the housing units the Bay Area so desperately needs. Read full article @elizabethGkilgore

#house #realestate #BayArea #egk415 #elizabethGkilgore #PacUnion #economy #homebuyers #sellers #sales #demand